DETROIT – Michigan Senate majority leader Mike Shirkey and House speaker Lee Chatfield are expected to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House Friday.
It’s an extraordinary move as the Trump Campaign continues to attempt to stop Michigan from certifying the election results.
Shirkey was met by protesters at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport before he flew to Washington, D.C.
Cameras captured Shirkey getting off the plane in D.C., where he did not speak with any members of the press.
Speaker Lee Chatfield confirmed that he was meeting with the president in a tweet just before the meeting Friday, saying he is honored to speak with Trump.
No matter the party, when you have an opportunity to meet with the President of the United States, of course you take it. I won’t apologize for that. In fact, I’m honored to speak with POTUS and proud to meet with him. And I look forward to our conversation. 🇺🇸
— Lee Chatfield (@LeeChatfield) November 20, 2020
“No matter the party, when you have an opportunity to meet with the President of the United States, of course you take it. I won’t apologize for that,” Chatfield tweeted Friday. “In fact, I’m honored to speak with POTUS and proud to meet with him. And I look forward to our conversation.”
The 4 p.m. meeting comes after a contentious meeting with the Wayne County Board of Canvassers.
The Michigan Democratic Party held a press conference Friday morning to talk about the consternation Trump is causing. Rep. Debbie Dingell spoke passionately about the situation.
“What we are witnessing before our eyes is an undermining of people’s confidence in their democracy,” Dingell said. “He is attacking the integrity of our elections and unfortunately, shaking the very foundations of the pillars of our democracy and that is unacceptable and must be challenged.”
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Wayne County Board of Canvassers chair Monica Palmer is expected to hold a press conference Friday where she will lay out what she’s doing and why her affidavit that she put out saying that she wanted to rescind her vote actually is any good or not.
READ MORE: Michigan: GOP canvassers can’t legally rescind Wayne County election certification vote
The Michigan Secretary of State’s office said in a statement Thursday that there is no legal mechanism for two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to rescind their votes cast for certification.
“There is no legal mechanism for them to rescind their vote. Their job is done and the next step in the process is for the Board of State Canvassers to meet and certify,” said secretary of state spokeswoman Tracy Wimmer, the AP reports.